When Tommy Bugg was first signed to the AFL’s 18th team, they didn’t have a name, colours or home base.

Now almost five years on, the defender becomes the tenth player to reach 50 games for the club when the GIANTS open their season against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

“I signed with the club in 2010 and I’ve been here for five years now so I’ve been here from the beginning,” Bugg told GIANTS TV.

“It’s a pretty special journey to say I’ve been here from the start with a few other boys, to share those kind of memories and this journey so I’ve really appreciated the time that I’ve had so far.”

Bugg and fellow former Caulfield Grammar student Dylan Shiel became the sixth and seventh players respectively to be added to the playing list of Team GWS way back in 2010.

A year later he joined a host of his mates in moving to Western Sydney to be part of the AFL’s newest team.

“I arrived at the club as a 17-year-old, I had a lot more hair going on then that’s for sure,” he said.

“I had close friends who came up here as 17-year-olds as well as those boys that got drafted.

“I’ve just enjoyed having boys the same age as me and I think the club’s really grown and I think the boys have really grown as well.

“The journey’s been a bit of a roller coaster, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs.

“Starting in the first year we obviously had a few downs I guess. We come from a club that didn’t really have a home base to now having this brilliant facility at Sydney Olympic Park.

“It probably makes you stronger in the end and we get to enjoy those ups a lot more because we’ve had those tough times.”

Arriving at the club as a midfielder, it’s taken Bugg a few seasons to find his best spot in a GIANTS side full of top-rated mids.

After picking up a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination in 2012, Bugg finished last season with 49 AFL games under his belt, a top 10 finish in the Kevin Sheedy Medal and a reputation as a tough tagger with an ability to get under the skin of his opponents.

“I came to the club as a midfield-type player,” he said.

“I’ve been all over, I’ve played the wing, half-back, I’ve even played a bit forward as well but I found my role last year being a run-with player and through the backline. This year I’m playing more down back which I’m really enjoying.

“Being known as a pest, it’s not something I like and I don’t really think about it too much to be honest, I kind of just go about my role.

“I guess when you’re playing that role you have to play it for the team and it’s not always one you like but you’ve just got to do it because at the end of the day you’re playing for your team and I guess I’m playing for my position as well.”

As someone who has been part of the GIANTS since the very beginning, Bugg is now seeing the tide turn with the club coming off its best season yet with six wins.

“I think last year we kind of felt a little bit of that belief and then I think this year there’s so much more confidence within the group and within the players. It’s a lot more player-driven this year I feel.”

He’s also more than comfortable in his new city.

“It’s a bit weird when I go back to Melbourne now, it feels like I’m kind of visiting Melbourne. I’ve got a lot of close friends here and obviously the guys are really tight-knit.”

Sunday’s milestone game coincidentally falls on Bugg’s 22nd birthday and while he’s proud of the achievement, he hopes it’s just the first of many in orange and charcoal.

“It’s very exciting to be playing my 50th. It probably means a little bit more to my family and friends at the moment,” he said.

“I have high aspirations to play a lot more games so in the scheme of things hopefully it’s not a big milestone.

“I’m lucky enough that it’s my birthday and it falls on my 50th as well. That’ll be pretty exciting, again another thing probably for my family and friends I guess but when I go on the field I’ll just play my role and try and get the win and enjoy it afterwards.”